Wichita eagle., 1887-09-10

q eeted me as usual Stih there was NJ
misunderstanding her first glance. Sh'
was studying my face to see if yesterday
folly had left any traces there. No OK
PLANTATION being asked for, none wa
| given. One thing struck me. however
and that was the absence from the draw
| ing room table of the large bouquet o.
wild flowers which my grandmother *
delighted to gather, and which always
stood there as an ornament. Was it ar
accident, or did the kind old lady wish II
remove from my sight everything thai
| might evoke painful remembrance
Anyhow, day after day flew by, and the
| name of Suzanne de Stahl was never
mentioned in the chateau. Besides, Time
the great healer, brought the needed
panacea.
Eight months later Mile de Stahl be
came the wife of the Count P, one of oul
most renowned spOrtsmen, and took uI
| her residence in Paris. About the same
time, wishing to devote myself thence
| forth to artistic pursuits, quit the coun-
try with grandmother, and we established
ourselves in her mansion, Rue de Lille
Today my punishment, and, believe me,
it is no light one, for it has now lasted
more than three years, is to be compelled
to meet my former fiancee at every turn.
The ebb and flow of the tide of Partisan
life are continually bringing us together.
At the Bots, at the play or at receptions,
il I do not happen to meet her, hear
nothing around me but words of praise,
lauding the matchless wit and elegance OF
the beautiful Countess Per-hold!
came near divulging her namel And each
time we meet, when I find myself in the
presence of those proud eyes, bright as
diamonds, but at the same time just as
cold, when l look at those lips so disdain-
fully curved, when I hear that naughty
domineering voice, when / reflect on her
cruel, cutting wit, then do l say to my
self: "Most assuredly did right" But
shortly after her glanceS seem so bewitch-
ing, her voice so fervid, her exquisitely
nodded form so perfect, her carriage so
graceful, that in the presence of this rare
treasure, lost forever by a mere whim,
cannot hush that other voice within me
which, with accents Of remorse or at least
of regret, signs from the depths Of my
heart: "Most assuredly did wrongn
And you, kind reader, what think you2
l.. BERTHoUs-LAATRGUE
P. S.-Just as these lines are going to
press find the following paragraph in a
daily paper, which makes a speciality Of
publishing items of this kind:
''There was quite scandal yesterday in
q grand drawing room of the Monceau
quarter. After Il few remarks, about
subject that we will not mention, adj
dressed to her by Count p, the beautiful,
but rather irascible countess, whose hot
temper, until now, was only known by
few intimate friends, threw her fan into
her husbands face. and, the same even
ing, she left the mansion
For the past two hours 1 have been
walking up and down the boulevards
The weather is gloomy and rainy, but how
pleasant life isl I feel as if my bosom, no
longer able to contain my joy, were about
to burst. l can't restrain my feelings,
and have an insane desire to embrace
everybody. l have just met my old friend,
Maurice d'Ermont, happy husband, he.
I question him cleverly. He has not vet
heard the news. = = Well, it is best
he should learn it from some one else.
We have been wandering about, arm in
arm, for quite awhile. The good fellow
does not understand my gayety, my
pleased, laughing countenance, and for
the third time he asks me in a puzzled
manner:
cold friend, what makes you rub your
hands together in that way?';-Iranslated
from the French for Times-Democrat